Scottish Executive

Ambulance Service

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many ambulances are deployed at football grounds on a typical Saturday match day.

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what charge is levied on football clubs by the Scottish Ambulance Service for the supply of an ambulance and crew to attend on match days.

Malcolm Chisholm: It is the responsibility of the management at individual football grounds to assess the level of ambulance provision required based on the anticipated attendance. Guidance as to what that minimum provision should be is contained in the "Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds". The table shows the minimum ambulance provision required against the anticipated attendance, together with the rates charged by the Scottish Ambulance Service for that minimum provision. Total costs may vary, however, depending on the level of additional services which the ambulance service may have been asked to provide by the football ground’s management team.

  

 Anticipated
Attendance
 Ambulance Provision
 Cost


 5,000
to
25,000
 1 accident and emergency ambulance 
  (with paramedic crew) plus:
1 ambulance officer
 £450+
VAT


 25,000
to
45,000
 1 accident and emergency ambulance 
  (with paramedic crew), plus:
1 ambulance officer
1 major incident equipment vehicle and paramedic crew
1 control unit
 £1,150 + VAT


 45,000
or
more
 2 accident and emergency ambulances 
  (with paramedic crews), plus:
1 ambulance officer
1 major incident equipment vehicle and paramedic crew
1 control unit
 £1,550 + VAT

Anti-Social Behaviour

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to paragraph 67 of the policy memorandum of the draft Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Bill, which local authority officers will have the power to serve a fixed penalty notice.

Ms Margaret Curran: The provisions proposed in the noise nuisance part of the bill are enabling and flexible. It is proposed that the power to issue a fixed penalty notice for a noise nuisance offence will be granted to officers of local authorities as well as the police. It will be for each local authority to determine which of its officers are authorised to use the power.

Asylum Seekers

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Children’s Panels would have a role to play if the children of asylum seekers were to be taken into care under the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc.) Bill.

Euan Robson: Where a parent places a child in circumstances where concerns arise about the child’s welfare, it is open to any person to refer the child to the principal reporter. Such circumstances could include parental hardship or homelessness as well as whether the child could be supported by family or friends. The Principal Reporter would have to decide whether any of the grounds for referral under the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 existed, and whether compulsory measures of supervision appeared to be necessary in the child’s interests. Amongst other factors, this decision would take account of the extent to which voluntary support measures were acceptable to the family and sufficient in the child’s interests. If voluntary support measures were considered inadequate a children’s hearing would have to be convened to decide whether compulsory measures of supervision   were necessary and what action should to be taken to protect the child’s welfare. This process applies to all children in Scotland.

Cancer

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the waiting times have been from detection of cancerous cells by smear test to colposcopy in each year since 1999-2000, broken down by NHS board area.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the target time is from detection of cancerous cells by smear test to colposcopy.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional resources have been allocated for acceleration of colposcopies following detection of cancerous cells following a smear test.

Malcolm Chisholm: A cervical smear is not a test for cancer but is aimed at detecting abnormal cells which, if left untreated, could develop into cervical cancer. Information about waiting times for colposcopy investigation following a cervical smear is not collected centrally.

  One of the criteria in the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland report on cervical screening, which was released on 24 November, is that a minimum of 90% of all referrals for an abnormal smear should be given an appointment within 40 working days and 90% of referrals with a moderate or severe abnormal smear within 20 working days of the referral being received. The report noted that this target was not being met by the majority of NHS boards.

  The Health Department will be considering with the National Services and Information and Statistics Divisions, Common Services Agency the development of appropriate IT system enhancements to allow this data to be more easily accessible in the future which will assist boards to monitor their performance and take appropriate action to meet the standards.

  Resources for colposcopy services are a matter for NHS boards.

Children with Disabilities

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to extend the Positive Mental Well-Being project for schoolchildren who are deaf.

Malcolm Chisholm: Under the National Programme for Mental Health and Well-being, there are plans already in place to include a member of the National Deaf Children’s Society (Scotland) (NDCS) within the pilot of the mental health first aid initiative. Following this, a representative from NDCS aims to promote positive mental well-being to young deaf people and to campaign for emotional literacy to be part of the school’s curriculum, through work on the peer education/befriending project.

Community Wardens

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have opted to introduce a community warden scheme.

Ms Margaret Curran: We invited every council in Scotland, on behalf of their community planning partners, to submit proposals for community warden schemes as set out in our guidance entitled Building Strong, Safe and Attractive Communities. All 32 councils have indicated their intention to submit proposals for funding and these are currently being assessed by officials.

Community Wardens

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many community wardens there are, broken down by local authority.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive’s funding programme to extend community wardens across Scotland does not come into operation until April 2004. Officials are currently assessing proposals submitted by councils on behalf of their community planning partners.

Conservation

Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive for which habitats Scottish Natural Heritage is the lead partner under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan and how much was spent on the management of each such habitat in the last year for which figures are available.

Allan Wilson: This is a matter for Scottish Natural Heritage. The information requested is not held centrally.

Diabetes

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to Your Local Care: A survey of diabetes services in primary care organisations, what steps will be taken to increase the number of NHS boards establishing a strategy for early identification of diabetes from 25% to over 50%.

Malcolm Chisholm: I refer to the answer which was given to S2W-3995 on 24 November 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottishparliament.uk/webapp/wa.search

Europe

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Council of Ministers meetings have been attended by its officials in each year since 1999, expressed also as a percentage of total Council of Ministers meetings in each year.

Mr Andy Kerr: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the annual running expenditure by the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will be presented on the basis of where it is spent rather than on a pro-rata basis in this year's Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland report (GERS) and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Mr Andy Kerr: Defence and overseas services expenditure is allocated according to population share as in previous editions of GERS. This treatment is consistent with the "who benefits" principle that is the basis for the allocation of expenditure in GERS.

  The same is true for the expenditure of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the procurement expenditure by the Ministry of Defence will be presented showing where it is paid rather than on a pro-rata basis in this year’s Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland report (GERS) and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Mr Andy Kerr: All defence expenditure is allocated according to population share as in previous editions of GERS. This treatment is consistent with the "who benefits" principle that is the basis for the allocation of expenditure in GERS.

Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the methodology for this year's Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland report will take into account an estimate of Scotland’s share of the extra-regio territory when allocating Scotland’s share of capital gains tax revenues and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Mr Andy Kerr: North Sea revenues do not include any capital gains tax.

Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has with regard to how the Inland Revenue calculates the Scottish portion of inheritance tax revenue in last year’s Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland report.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Inland Revenue supplies the amount of inheritance tax collected in respect of Scottish deaths and other transfers.

Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the methodology for this year’s Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland report will take account of business VAT payments when allocating Scotland’s VAT revenue and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Mr Andy Kerr: Scotland’s share of UK VAT revenue was estimated by Customs and Excise on the basis of Scotland’s share of household expenditure on those goods and services.

  The methodology by Customs and Excise is the best currently available.

Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the methodology for this year’s Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland report will take into account interest on VAT paid and subsequently repaid to Scottish businesses and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Mr Andy Kerr: GERS   does not take into account explicitly the interest payments in relation to VAT. These are "extra receipts" by Customs and Excise which enter into "other taxes and royalties" and are allocated by Gross Value Added share.

Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the methodology for this year’s Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland report takes account of regional variations in fuel prices with particular reference to higher than average prices and mileages in the Highlands and Islands when calculating fuel duty revenue and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Mr Andy Kerr: Fuel duties are based on the volume and not on the price of fuel. The fuel duty revenue for Scotland is based on inland deliveries of each of the different fuel types for the UK Digest of Energy Statistics. These deliveries reflect the different mileages across Scotland.

Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the methodology for calculating Scotland’s share of fuel duty revenue in this year’s Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland report will take account of VAT on sales.

Mr Andy Kerr: Fuel duties are based on the volume, not on the price of fuel. The methodology does not take account of VAT on sales.

Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the methodology for calculating Scotland’s share of fuel duty revenue in last year’s Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland report was based on the site of delivery.

Mr Andy Kerr: The fuel duty revenue for Scotland is based on inland deliveries of each of the different fuel types published in the UK Digest of Energy Statistics.

Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the methodology for this year’s Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland report (GERS) will show the allocation of Scotland's share of air passenger duty revenue based on the number of flights from or within Scotland and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish population share has been used to calculate the Scottish share of this tax because Scottish air passengers tend to use airports throughout the UK.

  This treatment follows the principle that GERS measures the tax burden that is imposed on Scottish residents within the UK.

Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the methodology for this year’s Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland report will show the allocation of Scotland's share of insurance premium tax revenue based on information sought from insurance providers.

Mr Andy Kerr: Scotland's share of insurance premium tax revenue is not based on information from insurance providers.

  Scotland’s population share was used to estimate Scotland’s insurance premium tax share.

Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the methodology for this year’s Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland report (GERS) will show the allocation of Scotland's share of insurance premium tax revenue on the basis of which company sells the policy and where that company is headquartered and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Mr Andy Kerr: Scotland’s population share was used to estimate Scotland’s insurance premium tax share.

  This treatment follows the principle that GERS measures the tax burden that is imposed on Scottish residents within the UK.

Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the methodology for this year's Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland report will show the allocation of Scotland's share of landfill tax revenue on information sought from local authorities and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Mr Andy Kerr: The landfill tax has been allocated on a population share basis.

Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why it was unable to calculate an estimate of Scotland's landfill per head based on environmental data that indicated more landfill per head than the rest of the UK, as referred to in Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland (GERS) 2000-2001 .

Mr Andy Kerr: Customs and Excise do not provide regional data on landfill tax. The environmental data referred to in GERS pertain to differences in recycling rates between England, Wales and Scotland. This data cannot be used directly to infer Scotland’s share of landfill tax.

Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the methodology used to calculate revenues from interest and dividend receipts to Scotland will take into account an estimated Scottish share of the extra-regio territory in this year's Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland report and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Mr Andy Kerr: North Sea revenues do not include interest and dividend payments.

Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the methodology used to calculate the revenues from the remainder of gross trading surplus and rent (excluding NTCC) to Scotland will take into account an estimated Scottish share of the extra-regio territory and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Mr Andy Kerr: North Sea revenues do not include gross trading surplus and rent.

Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the methodology used to calculate EU contributions to Scotland in this year's Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland report will take into account an estimated Scottish share of the extra-regio territory and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Mr Andy Kerr: EU contributions are not applicable to extra-regio territory.

Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the methodology used in this year's Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland (GERS) to calculate Scotland's revenue from duty received on spirits, beer and wine will base the figure (a) on where the drinks are released from the bonded warehouse or (b) on which company pays the duty and where that company’s headquarters are and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Mr Andy Kerr: The proportions of expenditure on each type of alcohol were estimated from the ONS Expenditure and Food Survey based on average expenditure per household and number of households.

  This treatment follows the principle that GERS measures the tax burden that is imposed on Scottish residents within the UK.

Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the methodology used in this year's Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland report to allocate Scotland’s revenue from duty from cigarettes will base the figure (a) on where the products are released from bonded warehouses or (b) on which company pays the duty and where that company’s headquarters are and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Mr Andy Kerr: The UK tax on cigarettes and tobacco is apportioned to Scotland on the basis of Scotland’s share of expenditure as estimated from the Expenditure and Food Survey.

  This treatment follows the principle that Government Expenditure Revenues in Scotland measures the tax burden that is imposed on Scottish residents within the UK.

Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how the methodology for this year's Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland report will allocate Scotland's share of the Climate Levy.

Mr Andy Kerr: Proportions of the levy on electricity have been calculated using the Scottish proportion of final electricity consumption (this makes the assumption that exempt categories such as households are in the same proportion in Scotland as in the UK overall). As no such data are currently available for gas and other fuels, Scottish proportion of Gross Value Added is used to allocate these parts.

Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how the methodology for this year's Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland report will allocate Scotland's share of the aggregates tax.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Aggregates Levy came into effect on 1 April 2002, and therefore is not included in this year’s Government Expenditure Revenues for Scotland, which covers the financial year 2001-02.

Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the methodology for this year's Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland report will allocate Scotland's share of revenue from TV licenses.

Mr Andy Kerr: The BBC receives the revenue from TV licensing directly (and is responsible for its administration). The BBC does not have shareholders and therefore does not aim to make a profit. Operating surpluses and deficits simply represent timing differences between income and expenditure and are included in the position "Gross trading surplus, rents and miscellaneous. transfers" in the Government Expenditure Revenues for Scotland. The Scottish share is allocated by its Gross Value Added share.

Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the methodology for this year's Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland report will allocate Scotland's share of revenue from court fines and on-the-spot fines.

Mr Andy Kerr: Revenues from court fines and on-the-spot fines are subsumed in the budget under "other receipts"; they are not shown individually. The Scottish share is allocated according to Gross Value Added share.

Fire Service

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will use its forthcoming bill on the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to set a target of zero for fire deaths.

Hugh Henry: Any death from fire is a tragedy and the Executive is fully aware of Scotland’s appalling record of fire fatalities. However, we take some comfort that there has been an underlying downward trend in fire fatalities in Scotland over the past decade and we want this trend to continue. The Executive will therefore use the new legislation to work with the service and others to place an even greater emphasis on fire prevention to further reduce the level of deaths and injuries from fire. But we do not believe that it would be appropriate or indeed helpful to use primary legislation to set targets for the level of fire fatalities.

Fire Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what parts of the fire service integrated risk management plan guidance framework are being implemented; in which fire services the framework is being partially, or wholly, implemented; what consultations took place prior to implementation; what the estimated cost of implementation is, and what its plans are for future implementation of, and consultations about, the framework.

Hugh Henry: Fire Service Circular 4/2003 dated 3 April 2003, issued by HM Fire Service Inspectorate for Scotland, advised fire authorities that the Executive, as part of its proposals for developing the service, supported the introduction of a risk-based method of intervention through the development of integrated risk management plans (IRMP). A further fire service circular, 7/2003, dated 8 September 2003, published draft guidance on the production of IRMPs. The development of the guidance was aided by consultation seminars for all the key stakeholder interests conducted during 2003 outlining the IRMP planning process and timescale for action. Comments on this guidance were sought by 1 December 2003. Responses to the consultation are being assessed prior to re-issuing a revised version of circular 7/2003. The inspectorate are currently visiting brigades to assess what preliminary progress has been made on implementation. It is too soon to assess the financial implications of the IRMP approach.

Forensic Science

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultations took place between the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, the Scottish Criminal Record Office and the Justice Department prior to the introduction of non-numeric fingerprint evidence.

Cathy Jamieson: A non-numeric standard of fingerprint evidence has not yet been adopted in Scotland. A non-numeric implementation group, led by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, has planned a series of information forums with all stakeholders in the criminal justice system prior to a decision to adopt the non-numeric standard in Scotland.

Forensic Science

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service announced the introduction of non-numeric fingerprinting evidence; who was consulted; whether it sought the Parliament’s approval for the introduction of such evidence and, if so, when; what the definition is of non-numeric fingerprinting evidence, and what international standards have been set.

Colin Boyd QC: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-4511. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

  A non-numeric standard of fingerprint evidence has not yet been adopted in Scotland. The adoption of such a standard is a matter for the Scottish Fingerprint Service and the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, although the Lord Advocate would require to be satisfied that he would be entitled to rely on fingerprint evidence presented using that standard before such evidence is led in criminal proceedings.

Forensic Science

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3539 by Cathy Jamieson on 18 November 2003, when the review will now report and whether the Executive will consider removing control over forensic services from police forces to a national forensic service.

Cathy Jamieson: The review, which is being led by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, is expected to report in the New Year. We will consider the future provision of police forensic science services in the light of that report.

Forensic Science

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are in place to ensure that the introduction of non-numeric fingerprinting is done professionally and can meet international standards of quality and judicial reliability.

Cathy Jamieson: A move to a non-numeric standard, in line with international practice, requires careful preparation, including training of those involved, to ensure that evidence given is of the necessary quality. This preparation is being taken forward by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS). The adoption of such a standard in Scotland is a matter for ACPOS and the Scottish Fingerprint Service, but the Lord Advocate would require to be satisfied that he would be able to rely on fingerprint evidence presented using that standard before such evidence was led in criminal proceedings.

Genetically Modified Food

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to monitor the impact of genetically modified (GM) animal feed on animal health.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive has no plans to monitor the impact of GM animal feed on animal health.

  No GM product may be used in animal feed unless EU member states have agreed collectively that it does not pose a risk to human and animal health or the environment.

Health

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidences there have been of pelvic inflammatory disease, and what the rate of incidence was, in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: Incidence of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), based on presentation at General Practice since 1999, was as follows:

  

 Year
 Estimated Number 
  of GP Incidences


 1999
 26,647


 2000
 27,226


 2001
 23,774


 2002
 22,896



  Source: Continuous Morbidity Recording Database (CMR).

  Number and rate6 of female patients1,2,4,5 first3 diagnosed with PID by NHS board of residence in years since 1999 were as follows:

  

 Scottish Residents 
  
 
 1999
 2000
 2001
 2002


 Total Number
of Patients1,2,4,5
 1,540
 1,397
 1,261
 1,115


 Rate6 per
100,000 Population
 58.4
 53.1
 47.9
 42.5


 Arygll and Clyde
 Number1,2,4,5
 162
 142
 113
 97


 
 Rate6
 73.5
 64.8
 51.7
 44.7


 Ayrshire and Arran
 Number1,2,4,5
 295
 248
 194
 161


 
 Rate6
 152.1
 128.5
 100.7
 83.8


 Borders
 Number1,2,4,5
 18
 18
 29
 14


 
 Rate6
 32.8
 32.6
 52.3
 25.2


 Dumfries and Galloway
 Number1,2,4,5
 59
 46
 42
 43


 
 Rate6
 77.0
 60.3
 54.9
 56.5


 Fife
 Number1,2,4,5
 154
 140
 122
 106


 
 Rate6
 85.3
 77.3
 67.1
 58.1


 Forth Valley
 Number1,2,4,5
 76
 68
 64
 73


 
 Rate6
 52.6
 47.0
 44.2
 50.3


 Grampian
 Number1,2,4,5
 120
 121
 100
 100


 
 Rate6
 44.8
 45.4
 37.6
 37.8


 Greater Glasgow
 Number1,2,4,5
 172
 182
 1999
 179


 
 Rate6
 37.3
 39.7
 43.5
 39.3


 Highland
 Number1,2,4,5
 93
 69
 65
 47


 
 Rate6
 87.1
 64.7
 61.0
 44.2


 Lanarkshire
 Number1,2,4,5
 129
 125
 106
 98


 
 Rate6
 44.8
 43.5
 36.8
 34.1


 Lothian
 Number1,2,4,5
 150
 138
 143
 120


 
 Rate6
 37.4
 34.1
 35.3
 29.6


 Orkney
 Number1,2,4,5
 4
 4
 5
 3


 
 Rate6
 40.8
 40.9
 51.4
 30.9


 Shetland
 Number1,2,4,5
 7
 10
 7
 6


 
 Rate6
 62.7
 90.9
 64.2
 55.1


 Tayside
 Number1,2,4,5
 76
 60
 61
 56


 
 Rate6
 37.2
 29.5
 30.2
 27.8


 Western Isles
 Number1,2,4,5
 25
 26
 11
 12


 
 Rate6
 181.5
 191.7
 82.1
 90.1



  Notes:

  1. These statistics are derived from data collected on discharges from non-obstetric and non-psychiatric hospitals (SMR01) in Scotland.

  2. Cases where the patient was not admitted to hospital are not included.

  3. Defined as the number of new/first occurrences of a particular disease diagnosed during a hospital in-patient or day case stay.

  4. Patients are counted in the first year that they were diagnosed with pelvic inflammatory disease. Their patient histories are screened back to 1981 to make sure that had not been admitted prior to the year of interest with a diagnosis of pelvic inflammatory disease.

  5. The linked data set required for this analysis contains linked SMR1/01 and Registrar General's death records. All patient records including deaths for each patient are linked together using "probability matching". The "probability matching" algorithm uses all available identifying information (name, date of birth, postcode, hospital patient reference number etc.) to link the individual hospital records for each patient, thereby creating "linked" patient histories.

  Up to six diagnoses (one principal, five secondary) are recorded on SMR01 returns. All six diagnoses have been used to select pelvic inflammatory disease.

  6. Rates are based on the General Registers Office for Scotland, mid-year population estimates for females only.

  7. PID includes chronic and acute PID and a wide range of disease codes have been used to identify this.

Health

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of pelvic inflammatory disease have been caused by chlamydia in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area.

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many looked after females became pregnant within 18 to 24 months of leaving care in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area.

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many pregnant teenagers were children of single parents, expressed also as a percentage of all teenage pregnancies, in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area.

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what services there are to support (a) women and (b) men in the event of termination of pregnancy, miscarriage or stillbirth in each NHS board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not held centrally.

Hepatitis

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will establish the scheme to compensate people who contracted hepatitis C through contaminated blood products

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive hopes to be in a position to make a further announcement on the establishment of the scheme soon.

Homelessness

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to offer additional funding to local authorities to support the homelessness strategies required under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001.

Ms Margaret Curran: Homelessness strategies have been developed by every Scottish local authority in partnership with service providers and other stakeholders and in liaison with the Executive and COSLA. Homelessness strategies will form the cornerstone of local authorities’ drive to tackle the issue of homelessness and, increasingly, to prevent it through early intervention. The Executive has allocated £20 million per annum over three years (2003-04 to 2005-06) specifically to assist local authorities to implement their homelessness strategies. This is part of a wider financial commitment of £127 million by the Executive to tackle homelessness.

Justice

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will next discuss with the Home Office the development of the EU framework decision on combating trafficking in human beings.

Cathy Jamieson: Discussions on this framework decision are on-going and officials are in regular contact with Home Office on this matter.

Legal Aid

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria it, and its agencies, use to determine whether legal aid should be provided for defendants requesting independent assessment of fingerprinting evidence presented by the Scottish Criminal Record Office.

Cathy Jamieson: The granting or refusal of criminal legal aid is entirely a matter for the Scottish Legal Aid Board in summary criminal cases and for the courts in solemn criminal cases. Scottish ministers are expressly prohibited by the terms of section 3 of the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986 from intervening or giving guidance to the board about applications for legal aid.

Maternity Services

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4248 by Malcolm Chisholm on 3 December 2003, whether changes to the nature of demand on the service arising from the review of maternity services in the area will include an assumption that births in transit will increase.

Malcolm Chisholm: Included within the expected changes to the nature of demand on ambulance services in the area is the assumption that more expectant mothers may require to be transferred to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley. Additional ante-natal assessments will be carried out to determine which mothers should have a consultant-led delivery. The assessments are designed to minimise the incidence of late/urgent transfers. Where a late hospital transfer to Paisley is indicated then the arrangements provide for a midwife to support the expectant mother in transit.

Mental Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) specialist and (b) routine training is offered to (i) police forces and (ii) the Scottish Prison Service in respect of dealing with people with mental illness.

Cathy Jamieson: All new entrants to the Scottish Police Service (and British Transport Police based in Scotland) attend the Scottish Police College for an Initial Training Course, of 15 weeks’ duration, which includes training on mental health issues.

  All Scottish Prison Service (SPS) staff who work with prisoners undertake an initial two-day core training programme on the SPS suicide risk management strategy (ACT and Care). This is supplemented by an annual refresher training module. The training provided includes identification and risk assessment of people with mental health problems that may result in self-harm or suicide.

  Approximately 40% of nurses employed by the SPS are registered at the first level with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as either trained in the nursing of persons suffering from mental illness (RMN) or trained in the nursing of persons with learning disability (RNMH). All health care professionals employed by SPS or contracted to provide services to prisoners are required to maintain and develop their knowledge and skills through continuing education programmes and other forms of continuous professional development.

Midwifery

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students were in training in midwifery in each NHS board area in each of the last three years.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not held in the form requested. The Scottish Executive records nursing and midwifery student statistics by higher education institution (HEI) and not by NHS board area. This information is provided in the table.

  Numbers of Midwifery Students in Training, by Higher Education Institution, 2001-03

  

 Higher Education Institute
 2001
 2002
 2003


 Bell College
 63
 66
 69


 Glasgow Caledonian University
 70
 74
 83


 Napier University
 175
 163
 165


 Robert Gordon University
 30
 48
 64


 Dundee University
 80
 74
 72


 Paisley University
 135
 121
 118


 Stirling University
 51
 62
 62


 Total
 604
 608
 633

Midwifery

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students have graduated in midwifery in each NHS board area in each of the last three years and, of these, how many have found employment in the profession.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive records nursing and midwifery student statistics by Higher Education Institution (HEI) and not by NHS board area.

  Numbers of Midwifery Graduates, by Higher Education Institution, 2000-03.

  

 Higher Education Institute
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03


 Bell College
 15
 18
 18


 Glasgow Caledonian University
 26
 27
 20


 Napier University
 36
 56
 52


 Robert Gordon University
 23
 11
 14


 Dundee University
 24
 22
 24


 Paisley University
 40
 40
 30


 Stirling University
 25
 23
 24


 Total Graduates
 189
 197
 182



  Information on the number of midwifery students finding employment is not held centrally. However, the one-year guarantee scheme was put into place to ensure that all newly qualified nurses and midwives could obtain employment in NHSScotland if they wished. By April 2003 no midwives were registered on the scheme suggesting that all who wished to had secured employment.

NHS Waiting Times

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time has been for an initial appointment with a sexual health specialist in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not available centrally.

NHS Waiting Times

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4247 by Malcolm Chisholm on 3 December 2003, whether there were any technical difficulties with regard to links to the National Waiting Times Database that prevented such links being found on its website, its press release SEDH556/2003 or Scottish Health on the Web on the day the National Waiting Times Database was launched and, if so, what these difficulties were.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Information and Statistics Division of the Common Services Agency, who are responsible for the National Waiting Times Database, have advised that there were no technical difficulties experienced with the database on 30 October 2003 when it was launched on the world-wide web.

National Health Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to assess the cost of production of hospital meals to enable controls, including a set daily food allowance, to be introduced, as referred to in Audit Scotland’s report Catering for Patients .

Malcolm Chisholm: The cost of the production of hospital meals is a matter for NHS boards and trusts to decide.

  The important issue is that high quality nutritional care is provided for all patients in hospital. NHS Quality Improvement Scotland issued new clinical standards for Food, Fluid and Nutritional Care in Hospitals on 19 September 2003. The standards require that each NHS board has a policy, and a strategic and co-ordinated approach, to ensure that all patients in hospitals receive high quality nutritional care. NHSScotland’s performance against these standards will be monitored by NHSQIS and reports will be published in due course.

  The Health Department will write to NHS boards and trusts requesting them to respond positively to the recommendations of the Audit Scotland report.

National Health Service

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many returns were received by the Common Services Agency in respect of prescription of methadone in each of the last 10 years.

Malcolm Chisholm: Methadone hydrochloride can be used as a cough suppressant in terminal disease, an opioid analgesics and as a drug used in substance dependence.

  The following table shows the number of prescriptions and the gross ingredient cost for all methadone items for the last 10 years. The cost given is that before addition of any pharmacy fees and deduction of any discount and patient charges. Data in the table refer to prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors, but do not take into account medicines dispensed by hospitals or hospital-based clinics.

  Methadone Prescribing 1993-94 to 2002-03

  

 Year Ending 31-March
 Number. 
  Prescribed
Items
 Gross 
  Ingredient
Cost (£)


 1994
 98,131
 586,792


 1995
 148,994
 945,069


 1996
 137,207
 1,240,455


 1997
 168,203
 1,525,406


 1998
 192,811
 1,836,614


 1999
 214,677
 2,032,043


 2000
 243,120
 2,337,568


 2001
 274,164
 2,751,401


 2002
 319,138
 3,333,094


 2003
 360,326
 4,063,122

National Health Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) acute, (b) critical, (c) residential and (d) nursing care beds were made available through extra funding for winter pressures in each year since 2000, broken down by NHS board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not available centrally. The total number of critical care beds available to NHS patients in Scotland has grown from 122 in 1999 to 142 in 2003. This increase, together with a range of further measures implemented by the NHS in Scotland to improve the resilience of services, has helped to limit the impact on patients generally of inevitable winter pressures.

National Health Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authority representatives and care home providers are involved in the planning processes of NHS boards on how to respond to winter pressures.

Malcolm Chisholm: All NHS boards involve the relevant planning partners in preparing for the pressures that are associated with winter.

  This involves, where appropriate, purchasing extra capacity in residential accommodation, establishing "pooled" stores of specialist equipment that can be used by vulnerable people at home and establishing specialist admission avoidance teams and rapid response teams to ensure that every effort is made to allow someone to remain in their own home with support rather than be admitted to a hospital or care facility.

National Health Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been provided by each NHS board to (a) local authorities and (b) care home providers to assist in the reduction of winter pressures in the NHS in each year since 2000.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not available centrally. NHS boards will provide funding to planning partners where it is seen as appropriate in the context of local winter planning arrangements. This is supported by significant extra investment with health spending set to increase on average by more than £630 million each year from 2003-04 to 2005-06, of which £30 million has been allocated this year specifically to address delayed discharges from hospitals.

PETS Passport Scheme

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what transport providers at ports and airports are operating fully the pet travel scheme on inward journeys from outwith the United Kingdom.

Ross Finnie: There are no operators providing this service directly into Scotland. However, the following operators transport cats and dogs into England under the pet travel scheme on specified approved routes:

  Air Canada

  Air France (guide dogs only)

  Air Malta

  All Nippon Airways

  American Airlines Cargo

  Astraeus Cargo

  Austrian Airlines (including Lauda Air and Tyrolean Airways)

  bmi british midland

  Britannia Airways Cargo

  British Airways

  Brittany Ferries

  Clay Lacy Aviation (charter company)

  Condor Ferries

  Continental Airlines

  Cyprus Airways

  Eurostar (guide dogs only)

  Eurotunnel Shuttle Service

  Finnair

  Gulf Air

  Hoverspeed

  Japan Airlines

  Jeppesen Heaton

  Jet Aviation (charter company)

  KLM Cargo

  Lufthansa

  Maersk Air Cargo

  Monarch Airlines

  NetJets Transportes Aereos SA (charter company)

  Northwest Airlines

  P+O Ferries

  P+O Ferries (North Sea)

  P+O Portsmouth

  Qantas

  Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) Cargo

  Sea France

  Singapore Airlines Cargo

  Stena Line Holland BV

  Swiss WorldCargo

  TAG Aviation (charter company)

  Virgin Atlantic Airways

Scottish Criminal Record Office

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3412 by Cathy Jamieson on 12 November 2003, on what basis the quality assurance manager of the bureau confirmed the identification of the fingerprint.

Cathy Jamieson: The quality assurance manager confirmed the identification in accordance with the operating procedures of the bureau. These procedures stipulate that an identification made by an expert and independently verified by two other experts on less than the existing standard of 16 characteristics is forwarded to the bureau quality assurance manager. The quality assurance manager will satisfy himself as to the integrity of the processes and procedures followed in the identification and verification process, confirm the individualisation of the mark and review the circumstances and seriousness of the case. On being satisfied on these matters he will make recommendations to the director, or if unavailable the deputy director, of Scottish Criminal Record Office.

Sexual Health

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of funds allocated to promote sexual health was specifically targeted at (a) females and (b) males in each year since 1999.

Malcolm Chisholm: Precise figures are not available. In practice, many initiatives at both national and local levels will be of relevance to both males and females.

Sexual Health

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many community-based out-of-school sex education programmes have been set up in each year since 1999.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not held centrally.

Sexual Health

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) local and (b) national initiatives it has introduced to promote sexual health among (i) young women, (ii) men who have sex with men and (iii) ethnic minority groups in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive provides funding for a spectrum of initiatives aimed at promoting positive sexual health across a range of target groups. These include the Inclusion Project which aims to develop a better understanding of issues specific to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, Walk the Talk, which has a focus on sexual health services for young people, and Caledonia Youth which provides a range of sexual health services in centres in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and, shortly, Falkirk. The promotion of sexual health is an important part of the work of NHS Health Scotland, including developing and making available SHARE materials and training for secondary schools.

  Specifically on the prevention of HIV, the Executive provides funding to a range of voluntary organisations which promote safer sexual health practices to prevent the spread of HIV. This includes funding for the Healthy Gay Scotland project, which aims to promote positive sexual health among gay and bisexual men. The Executive also currently provides £8.119 million to NHS boards to assist them with their work to prevent the spread of blood borne viruses, including HIV.

  The Executive has provided £3 million to the Lothian based Healthy Respect health demonstration project, which includes work with parents, and young women, preventing unwanted teenage pregnancies and the transmission of sexually transmitted infections.

  At local level, NHS boards and partner organisations, provide a range of services, responding to their assessment of local needs. Details of all services so provided are not held centrally.

Sexual Health

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive in how many cases of HIV the infection has been contracted (a) within and (b) outwith Scotland in each year since 1999.

Malcolm Chisholm: Though it is likely that most cases diagnosed in Scotland acquired the infection in Scotland, some may have become infected elsewhere in the UK. Distinguishing the specific region within the UK in which infection was contracted is therefore not possible.

  Reports of HIV infection diagnosed in Scotland since 1999, and presumed to be infected within or outwith the UK, are as follows:

  

 Year
 Presumed infected
within the UK
 Presumed infected
outwith the UK


 1999
 105
 51


 2000
 100
 54


 2001
 103
 68


 2002
 138
 112


 2003 (to 30/9)
 100
 83



  Notes: Where no evidence exists to the contrary, cases are presumed to have been infected within the UK. Cases presumed infected outwith the UK may include some Scots or other UK nationals.

Sexual Health

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the prevalence of HIV has been per 10,000 pregnant women in each year since 1999 and whether data quality accounts for any changes in these figures.

Malcolm Chisholm: The prevalence (per 10,000) of HIV infection in pregnant women in Scotland from 1999 to 2002 was as follows:

  

 Year
 Number Tested
 Positive
 Prevalence


 1999
 55,374
 13
 2.3


 2000
 53,347
 25
 4.7


 2001
 52,707
 16
 3.0


 2002
 51,291
 30
 5.8



  Note: Data quality has no bearing on any changes in prevalence.

Sexual Health

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what resources have been made available to promote sexual health to (a) patients, (b) parents and (c) schools in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not available centrally in the form requested.

Sexual Health

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the reasons are for the increase in recurrence of genital warts since 1999.

Malcolm Chisholm: In 1999-2000, there were 2,382 cases of recurrence of genital warts compared with 2,208 in the preceding year. Based on these data, there is no evidence of any appreciable increase in the recurrence of genital warts, but the Executive will study any new figures with interest.

Sexual Health

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what resources have been provided to improve access to sexual health services for (a) lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, (b) ethnic minority groups, (c) commercial sex workers and (d) homeless people in each year since 1999.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive has, under the Inclusion Project, provided £260,000 over the two years from 2002, to fund a project manager to conduct research and develop a mainstreamed approach to the effective inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in health planning and services. It has also, to date, provided £5,000 to fund a series of open-space events to explore issues of information and sexual health for young people in this group.

  We would expect NHS boards to be addressing sexual health issues in their health and homelessness action plans, and to have regard to the needs of other groups in their local needs assessments, where appropriate using the £8.119 million the Executive is providing in the current year to facilitate measures to prevent HIV and other bloodborne issues.

Sexual Health

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money has been allocated for providing information to the public on how to access sexual health services in each year since 1999.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive would expect NHS boards to have regard to such issues in their assessment of local needs. As such, the information requested is not held centrally.

Sexual Health

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many tier 4 services, as referred to in the supporting papers to Enhancing Sexual Wellbeing in Scotland: A Sexual Health Relationship Strategy , there are in each community health partnership area.

Malcolm Chisholm: The establishment of community health partnerships is subject to the passage of the National Health Service Reform (Scotland) Bill. The geographical areas covered by community health partnerships have still to be defined.

  Service provision will be one of the issues to be considered in the light of the current consultation on the proposals for a national sexual health strategy.

Sexual Health

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) GPs and (b) other members of primary care teams would be needed to ensure adequate implementation of Enhancing Sexual Wellbeing in Scotland: A Sexual Health Relationship Strategy at (i) tier 1 and (ii) tier 2 level.

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it will provide to short-term pilot projects on anonymous bar coding and diagnostic test kits for sexually transmitted infections, as referred to in its sexual health strategy.

Malcolm Chisholm: Such issues will be considered in the light of the responses to the current consultation on the proposals for a national sexual health strategy.

Sexual Health

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people (a) are currently waiting for and (b) have received in each year since 1999 an initial consultation with a sexual dysfunction specialist, giving the median waiting time for each year.

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the median waiting time for an initial consultation with a sexual health specialist (a) is currently and (b) has been in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not available centrally.

Sexual Health

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many GPs have undergone continual professional development to update their knowledge and skills with regard to contraception in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not held centrally.

  General practitioners, like other professionals, are expected to look at their own personal learning needs and the health needs of their patients and to seek training accordingly. Guidance and assistance is available to GPs from NHS Education for Scotland via the Postgraduate Directors of General Practice Education.

Sexual Health

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) HIV and (b) chlamydia tests have been carried out in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: The number of diagnostic HIV-antibody tests undertaken by HIV testing laboratories in Scotland in 1999-2002 is as follows:

  

 NHS Board
 1999
 2000
 2001
 2002


 Argyll and Clyde
 985
 845
 990
 1,061


 Ayrshire and Arran
 594
 666
 823
 1,319


 Borders
 113
 115
 147
 139


 Dumfries and Galloway
 234
 285
 324
 271


 Fife
 547
 740
 817
 915


 Forth Valley
 384
 401
 430
 531


 Grampian
 2,407
 2,234
 1,962
 2,462


 Greater Glasgow
 4,369
 4,410
 6,133
 5,917


 Highland
 766
 748
 829
 924


 Lanarkshire
 1,052
 1,150
 1,281
 1,569


 Lothian
 5,067
 5,249
 5,703
 6,043


 Orkney
 12
 13
 26
 55


 Shetland
 101
 112
 127
 137


 Tayside
 1,954
 1,665
 1,850
 1,792


 Western Isles
 26
 0
 6
 49


 Not Known
 0
 7
 7
 0


 Total
 18,611
 18,640
 21,455
 23,184



  Note: These figures exclude blood donors and pregnant women.

  Similar data for chlamydia tests are not held centrally.

Social Inclusion

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to encourage banks to install and retain cash machines (ATMs) in rural towns and villages.

Ms Margaret Curran: From 1 April 2003 the Scottish Executive has exempted from non-domestic rates the sites of ATMs in areas designated as being rural, to encourage banks to install and retain ATMs in these areas.

  The Executive also has regular meetings with the Committee of Scottish Clearing Bankers to discuss a range of social and financial inclusion matters which affect the whole of Scotland.

Sport

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money has been allocated to sport since 1992, broken down by funding source, and how much it plans to spend on sport in the next three years.

Mr Frank McAveety: Grant-in-aid to  sportscotland since 1992 and spending plans for 2003-04 to 2005-06 are set out in the following table.

  


 1991-92
 1992-93
 1993-94
 1994-95
 1995-96
 1996-97


 Grant in Aid (£ 
  million)
 7.049
 8.08
 8.337
 8.528
 8.549
 9.354



 1997-98
 1998-99
 1999-2000
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03


 Grant in Aid (£ 
  million)
 9.809
 9.809
 10.109
 10.309
 12.509
 17.179



 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06


 Plans (£ million)
 14.702
 27.572
 45.332

UK Legislation

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made in respect of Her Majesty's Government’s proposal to introduce a bill to set up child trust funds.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including the implications for devolved matters in Scotland of its legislative programme. This contact reflects the approach, set out in Devolution Guidance Note 1 in accordance with the principles set out in the Memorandum of Understanding, that the administrations normally consult each other from an early stage on the development of relevant legislative proposals.

Voluntary Sector

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what resources it has made available to the voluntary sector to help it comply with the statutory requirement to register care workers.

Euan Robson: Social service workers who will be required to register are expected to meet the criteria set by the Scottish Social Services Council. Part of the criteria for registration will include obtaining or working towards certain qualifications. The payment of fees for registration is the responsibility of the individual. However, training of the social care workforce within the voluntary sector is the responsibility of individual employers.

  To help the sector progress towards any qualifications criteria set for registration, the Executive provide training grants under section 9 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 to promote an acceptable level of practice competence in key areas of social work covered by the voluntary sector. This enables voluntary organisations involved to provide or secure training for their paid staff and voluntary workers which would not otherwise be available to them.

  In October 2003, the Executive announced an additional £9 million over the next three years for local authorities to invest in training. Ministers have made it clear that staff who work in partnership with local authorities, including independent providers from the voluntary and private sector will benefit from this additional funding.

  Currently, the Scottish Social Services Council is undertaking an investigation of all the key funding streams available for training in the social work sector and this will include the voluntary sector.

Waste Management

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether permission has been given for waste material to be disposed of at the former Dalquhandy opencast mine in Lanarkshire.

Ross Finnie: Planning permission for restoration of opencast is a matter for the local authority, and any necessary environmental permits are a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Waste Management

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has been consulted on the possibility of disposing of waste material at the former Dalquhandy opencast mine in Lanarkshire.

Ross Finnie: This is a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Project

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer how many trade packages have been awarded for the Holyrood project; of these, how many were awarded following a recommendation by the construction managers, and in how many cases was such a recommendation rejected.

Mr George Reid: : The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has informed me that 64 construction trade packages have been awarded, all of which were recommended by the construction managers and appropriate members of the design team and accepted by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body.

Parliamentary Staff

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether any Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) staff have sought counselling services in connection with giving evidence, or preparing to give evidence, to the Holyrood Inquiry and what financial provision the SPCB has made for such services.

Mr George Reid: The counselling service, which is available to members, their staff and parliamentary staff free of charge, is provided by the SPCB’s occupational health provider. The service is completely confidential and the SPCB receives only statistical information regarding the take-up of the service. It is neither appropriate nor possible to identify any individual who has sought counselling in connection with the Holyrood Inquiry or any other matter.

  Financial provision for the service is made within the overall occupational health budget.